Eight-year experience with allogeneic stem cell transplantation for relapsed follicular lymphoma after nonmyeloablative conditioning with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab

Blood. 2008 Jun 15;111(12):5530-6. doi: 10.1182/blood-2008-01-136242. Epub 2008 Apr 14.

Abstract

Nonmyeloablative stem cell transplantation in patients with follicular lymphoma has been designed to exploit the graft-versus-lymphoma immunity. The long-term effectiveness and toxicity of this strategy, however, is unknown. In this prospective study, we analyzed our 8-year experience. Patients received a conditioning regimen of fludarabine (30 mg/m(2) daily for 3 days), cyclophosphamide (750 mg/m(2) daily for 3 days), and rituximab (375 mg/m(2) for 1 day plus 1000 mg/m(2) for 3 days). They were then given an infusion of human leukocyte antigen-matched hematopoietic cells from related (n = 45) or unrelated donors (n = 2). Tacrolimus and methotrexate were used for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. Forty-seven patients were included. All patients experienced complete remission, with only 2 relapses. With a median follow-up time of 60 months (range, 19-94), the estimated survival and progression-free survival rates were 85% and 83%, respectively. All 18 patients who were tested and had evidence of JH/bcl-2 fusion transcripts in the bone marrow at study entry experienced continuous molecular remission. The incidence of grade 2-IV acute GVHD was 11%. Only 5 patients were still undergoing immunosuppressive therapy at the time of last follow-up. We believe that the described results are a step forward toward developing a curative strategy for recurrent follicular lymphoma.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial, Phase II

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / administration & dosage*
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / adverse effects
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived
  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antineoplastic Agents / adverse effects
  • B-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Cyclophosphamide / administration & dosage*
  • Cyclophosphamide / adverse effects
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Graft vs Host Disease
  • Graft vs Tumor Effect
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation*
  • Humans
  • Lymphoma, Follicular / drug therapy*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Myeloablative Agonists / administration & dosage*
  • Myeloablative Agonists / adverse effects
  • Prospective Studies
  • Recurrence
  • Remission Induction
  • Rituximab
  • Survival Rate
  • Transplantation Chimera
  • Transplantation Conditioning / methods*
  • Transplantation, Homologous
  • Vidarabine / administration & dosage
  • Vidarabine / adverse effects
  • Vidarabine / analogs & derivatives*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Myeloablative Agonists
  • Rituximab
  • Cyclophosphamide
  • Vidarabine
  • fludarabine